30 gallon stocking

[Fishyyyy]

Hi, so I have a 120 L tank about 31 us gallons i believe
I have very hard water (350 ppm)
I currently have 3 male guppies, 3 male platies, 9 cherry barbs (seriously fish says they can go up to that hardness) and 6 peppered cories (didn’t know they where soft water fish at the time of purchasing but I’ve had corys for a while now and all seem good)

Does this stocking seems too much or would I have room for some more fish. Interested In a fish that would be happy alone or as a pair and a bit bigger (a centre piece fish) but not sure if I’m already over stocked

Thank you

600l/h filter
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
20-40 nitrate (nitrate it tape is quite high so got some floating plants to help with that)

 

[Colin_T]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

A GH of 350ppm is fine for African Rift Lake cichlids, rainbowfish and common livebearers (guppies, platies, mollies, swordtails. However, it's a bit high for barbs and Corydoras.

If the tank is 3 foot or longer, you could add a group of smaller rainbowfish. The following link has all the known species of Australian and New Guinea rainbowfish and you can look through the pages and see if any interest you.

You could also look into a small peaceful cichlid from Lake Malawi or Tanganyika.

 

[Wills]

I think the cherries could be ok they are often listed as a hard water fish but you could swap them for a rainbow fish. Same with your cories you could swap them for a small synodontis. If you don’t want to change the fish that’s fine too if you have super hard water returning them to the shop will do nothing for them as they will end up in hard water again.

In terms of a feature fish would peacock gobies be an option? Not sure if the water is too hard but would look cool with the others!

Wills

 

[Fishyyyy]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

A GH of 350ppm is fine for African Rift Lake cichlids, rainbowfish and common livebearers (guppies, platies, mollies, swordtails. However, it's a bit high for barbs and Corydoras.

If the tank is 3 foot or longer, you could add a group of smaller rainbowfish. The following link has all the known species of Australian and New Guinea rainbowfish and you can look through the pages and see if any interest you.

You could also look into a small peaceful cichlid from Lake Malawi or Tanganyika.

Would cichlids be okay with my current stock ?

 

[Fishyyyy]

I think the cherries could be ok they are often listed as a hard water fish but you could swap them for a rainbow fish. Same with your cories you could swap them for a small synodontis. If you don’t want to change the fish that’s fine too if you have super hard water returning them to the shop will do nothing for them as they will end up in hard water again.

In terms of a feature fish would peacock gobies be an option? Not sure if the water is too hard but would look cool with the others!

Wills

Just looked, i believe they need soft water

 

[Fishyyyy]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

A GH of 350ppm is fine for African Rift Lake cichlids, rainbowfish and common livebearers (guppies, platies, mollies, swordtails. However, it's a bit high for barbs and Corydoras.

If the tank is 3 foot or longer, you could add a group of smaller rainbowfish. The following link has all the known species of Australian and New Guinea rainbowfish and you can look through the pages and see if any interest you.

You could also look into a small peaceful cichlid from Lake Malawi or Tanganyika.

What about a cockatoo dwarf cichlid ? Or do they need soft water

 

[Colin_T]

Cockatoo dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma cacatuoides) come from soft acid water and won't do well in your tank.

If you want cichlids, look for small peaceful cichlids from Lake Tanganyika or Lake Malawi. There are shell dwelling cichlids from Lake Tanganyika that only grow to about 1 inch long and live on the bottom. Cyprichromis leptosoma or Paracyprichromis nigripinnis grow to about 3-4 inches long but are peaceful mid water cichlids from Lake Tanganyika.

 

[Fishyyyy]

Cockatoo dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma cacatuoides) come from soft acid water and won't do well in your tank.

If you want cichlids, look for small peaceful cichlids from Lake Tanganyika or Lake Malawi. There are shell dwelling cichlids from Lake Tanganyika that only grow to about 1 inch long and live on the bottom. Cyprichromis leptosoma or Paracyprichromis nigripinnis grow to about 3-4 inches long but are peaceful mid water cichlids from Lake Tanganyika.

I don’t necessarily want cichlids. Just a nice centre piece for hard water if I have the space

 

[Colin_T]

Due to the hard water, you are pretty much stuck with rainbowfish or Rift Lake cichlids for a center piece fish.

 

[Fishyyyy]

Due to the hard water, you are pretty much stuck with rainbowfish or Rift Lake cichlids for a center piece fish.

Yeah I don’t really have the room for a school of rainbows either

 

[Wills]

What about a rarer live bearer? Like a Skiffia or a Montezume Swordtail? I had some Mexican Mollies for a while and the male was absolutely incredible, I had them with some Nanoluteus Cichlids and he totally stoodout over even them.

Wills

 

[speakerman3]

Cockatoo dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma cacatuoides) come from soft acid water and won't do well in your tank.

If you want cichlids, look for small peaceful cichlids from Lake Tanganyika or Lake Malawi. There are shell dwelling cichlids from Lake Tanganyika that only grow to about 1 inch long and live on the bottom. Cyprichromis leptosoma or Paracyprichromis nigripinnis grow to about 3-4 inches long but are peaceful mid water cichlids from Lake Tanganyika.

Cyprichromis are best in schools of ten or more and can get up to 6 inches with jumbo varieties. Though peaceful with most fish, I don't think they are a fit here.

 

[speakerman3]

Cyprichromis are best in schools of ten or more and can get up to 6 inches with jumbo varieties. Though peaceful with most fish, I don't think they are a fit here.

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